Detergent formulations employing alkali metal carbonates and/or alkali metal hydroxides are known to provide effective detergency. As the use of phosphorous raw materials in detergents becomes more heavily regulated, industries are seeking alternative ways to control hard water scale formation associated with highly alkaline detergents. Many commercially-available detergent formulations have employed sodium tripolyphosphate as a cost effective warewashing detergent component for controlling hard water scale and similar benefits. However, as formulations are adapted to contain less than 0.5 wt-% phosphorus, there is a need for identifying replacement water conditioning and cleaning components. However, many non-phosphate replacement formulations result in heavy soil accumulation on hard surfaces such as glass, plastic, rubber and/or metal surfaces.
Therefore, there is a need for detergent compositions, such as ware washing compositions, to provide adequate cleaning performance and preventing hard water scale accumulation while minimizing soil redeposition on a hard surfaces in contact with the detergent compositions. Such hard surfaces may include, for example, the interior parts of a warewash machine or kitchenware such as glass, metal, rubber or plastic substrates. Suitable kitchenware includes, but is not limited to cake pans, baking sheets, molds, loaf pans, muffin pans, pie pans, measuring cups/spoons, saucers, servers, gravy boats, serving bowls, platters, butter dishes, tureens, griddles, glasses, cups, plates, bowls, pots, pans, kitchen utensils and the like. Similarly, there is a need for methods of reducing soil accumulation on a hard surface that avoids the use of phosphates.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the claimed invention to develop alkaline detergent compositions effective for reducing and/or substantially eliminating scale build up on hard surfaces while maintaining effective detergency.
A further object of the invention is to provide methods for employing alkaline detergents between pHs from about 9 to about 12.5 minimizing soil accumulation on hard surfaces.
A still further object of the invention is to employ alkaline detergents containing polymers and/or copolymers having vinylidene diphosphonic acid end groups for improved control against hard water scale and preventing soil accumulation on hard surfaces.
A still further object of the invention is to employ alkaline detergents containing vinylidene diphosphonic acid polymers, optionally in combination with threshold agent polymers, such as phosphonates, polymaleic acids, polyacrylic acids, or other polyacrylates, wherein the use concentration of the threshold agents is reduced due to the formulation with the vinylidene diphosphonic acid polymers.